Founded in 2015, the Coldharbour Institute was created through a merger between the Coldharbour Sustainable Living Center and the Office of Resource Efficiency. That same year, Butch and Judy Clark donated the 343-acre Coldharbour Ranch to serve as a center for education, innovation, and research in regenerative practices.

​​The Institute's name reflects a long legacy of stewardship. It was inspired by a farm in Europe where the Clarks once lived—one that had sustained its community by producing food for more than 600 years. That enduring commitment to caring for land and community continues to inspire the Institute's mission today.

“I have several visions for Coldharbour – some very long term and others shorter.
When I was studying at the University of London for a PhD in Environmental Planning,
we lived in a place called Coldharbour Farm that was a part of a large dairy farm.
For perhaps over 600 years this place and its ecosystems have remained virtually intact.
This inspired us to a broad vision for what became our own Coldharbour in Gunnison County.
​This principal vision was to restore and protect the character of this place and its ecosystems.”
– Butch Clark

"We acknowledge that the Gunnison Valley, and the land that we steward and study is part of the traditional homeland of the Weeminuche People. The Ute Mountain Ute people have roamed, cared for, and belonged to these mountains, rivers, valleys, and wetland areas since time immemorial– and are still today caring for this landscape. While we may never right the wrongs of history, we hope that our regenerative mission and practices spark hope within the next generation to strive to live a new and healing way that will shine brightly on the Ute ancestors of this land."